Think you’ve got to spend big if you want a fast car? Think again. Not at Glenbrook Hyundai, the Happy Car Store in Fort Wayne, Indiana. We are pleased to announce that two Hyundai models made the list. The Genesis Coupe and the Sonata 2.0 T SE. You don’t have to sacifice spead or quality when you shop at Glenbrook Hyundai in Fort Wayne.

Even better news, you don’t have to sacrifice gas mileage for speed either. Both of these models get over 30 mpg on the highway!

Plenty of affordable cars will do zero to 60 mph in under six seconds; some are one-third the price of racers from Porsche or BMW.

But one surprising and notable absence on our list is the much-adored Mazda Mx-5 Miata. While track nerds and weekend drivers love the little roadster, it just didn’t have the pep to compete.

“The Miata is fun and handles well and will beat some of those cars on a racetrack, but it doesn’t have the horsepower to accelerate from zero to 60 quickly, ” says Dan Edmunds, the director of vehicle testing for Edmunds.com. “Handling and cornering speed are where the fun is for many, but acceleration is a different factor. ”

Another note: Our list includes only cars. Had we included pickup trucks, the $26,410 Toyota Tundra (zero to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds) would have qualified.

Finding Speed for Nonluxury PricesThe trick to finding a quick car is knowing where and how to look: Models like the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart and Mazda Mazdaspeed3 go zero to 60 in 5.8 and 6.4 seconds, respectively, because they are short, lightweight and turbocharged. They don’t need huge engines in order to speed up quickly because they don’t weight a whole lot to begin with.

If you want to hold the price down on a sporty car, it’ll also help to forgo engine upgrades altogether. Take the Chevrolet Camaro, for instance, which fell just short of making our list: With a sprint time of 6.7 seconds, the V6 version wasn’t fast enough; the $31,795 V8 SS variant, although fast, was a bit too pricey.

The same attitude of thrift should apply to creature comforts like leather seats and technology packages–opting out of those means your car will be lighter, faster and less expensive. But that sacrifice of the finer things in life shouldn’t be too much of a problem for most buyers in this range. Cars like the Subaru Impreza WRX and Mazda’s hatchbacks are loved for their rough-and-tumble rally personalities, not for interior frippery or extra design cues.

That said, Ford has done a great job in the last few years of making small cars with high quality and decent interior design. (The two ‘stangs on our list indicate that commitment.)

“Hyundai has done remarkably well over the past couple of years, and we’re expecting Kia will be on a similar trajectory that Hyundai has been,” Lyman says.

A final thought on getting something fast and frugal: Luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz will always command a price premium that puts their wares just out of reach for someone looking to save money. The BMW 1-Series coupe would have made our list when it was first introduced, but recent price increases have bumped the base price of a 128i to $30,950. And buying one for even that price is unlikely, Edmunds says.

The cars come so loaded with upgrades and extras that paying even $35,000 would be a lucky deal.

In Pictures: The 10 Fastest Cars Under $30,000

Courtesy of Hyundai

The 10 Fastest Cars Under $30,000

We asked Edmunds to compile data on all 2011 models that might have a chance of competing with a blistering zero-to-60-mile-per-hour time. The 10 fastest that cost $30,000 or less made our list.

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About www.HappyCarStore.com

Glenbrook Hyundai, a car dealer in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is a family owned and operated dealership. Located in Fort Wayne for over 20 years, Glenbrook Hyundai understands the value of a Happy customers. For the past 10 years, 62% of all Glenbrook Hyundai customers have been either repeat customers or someone referred in by a friend.
The "Happy Car Store" theme came about a few years ago when Mark McKibben, the store's General Manager, decided to make buying a car at Glenbrook Hyundai different than every other dealership in the area. Some of the Happy Car Store advantages are:
- a quicker sales process, no need to take hours to buy a car
- Glenvrook Hyundai is a full disclosure dealership, every customer gets to see the price, taxes, fees, money down options, term options, trade figures...everything they need to know to make a well informed decision, with absolutely NO PRESSURE to buy.
- The area's largest selection of new and used Hyundais
- Service rewards cards, giving customers the opportunity to earn free oil changes, rental cars, complete details and more.
- Service loaner cars
- 100% customer oriented sales process
- A Happy, No Worries atmosphere
- And much, much more
Stop in to see us at:
Glenbrook Hyundai
4801 Coldwater Road
Fort Wayne, IN 46825
260-484-9531
Or check us out on the web anytime at www.HappyCarStore.com